As Thick as Water
by Lady Lavender-Moon
Summary: 6th year AU. When there is no one to take the defense post at Hogwarts in Harry's 6th year, Dumbledore calls in a favor from a very unlikely person. Harry and the gang find out just what kind of favor it is, and Snape gets in trouble.


Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize, and most things that you don't recognize. Don't sue. I have no money.

Prologue

November, 1565

Venice, Italy

RHoslyn was breathing hard and fast—the soot in her lungs was not helping much. Her head was swimming with the adrenaline rush, and her legs felt like they were on fire from overuse, having been running in a dark, dirty back alley for at least half an hour now. She was running for her life, as cliché as it sounded in her head. The figures in the black cloaks were gaining the advantage, and she had never been so frightened. _Again with the cliché_, Rhoslyn thought.

The unearthly sound rang throughout the alley, and reverberated off the walls. It came from those who were chasing her. Venice, as it were, was well known for it's back alleys and confusing maze of streets, hovels, and grottos. _Why haven't I lost them yet then?_ She frantically mused. _Damn them!_ Rhoslyn was pushing her limits to try to sprint faster, causing her legs to cry in protest. Her lungs, head and legs throbbed with her heartbeat, and her entire body felt as if tiny pinpricks of white-hot pain were invading every square millimeter of her being. And yet, these people, creatures, things…were catching up to her. Why were they trying so hard? She had nothing of value to steal, and if these men were everyday thugs they would have stopped chasing her after a minimal amount of effort. These _things_, whatever they were, wanted more than simple money or goods. They had to be after something much more sinister. _I'm going to die. This is it, I'm dead, and they'll not let me live after all this trouble I've caused them. _She felt her breath get heavier, and harder as she looked back. She was getting delirious from the lack of air; because she could have sworn she just saw one of them glide down from a height. What kind of devil's creature could _glide?_ She began to falter, losing the last of her endurance. How much could a milkmaid put up with?

It's all right; it'll be fine. Let them take you. Let them catch you. Everything will be right again if you slow down and let them take you.

The thought came from nowhere. Why was she having these thoughts? They weren't from her, and now Rhoslyn was certain that these creatures were a darker form of mischief, earning the title of evil.

_Give up! Let them catch you, all will be well. Stop running! Stop resisting! Slow down! Everything will be just fine. Just slow down. _

Again…but now she was sure that whoever these men were, they were getting frustrated. That was a good sign, so given a tiny slice of hope, Rhoslyn increased her speed. But this was a mistake, as her body was soon to inform her. Beyond exhaustion, fatigue set in and the knees that the girl had so depended on gave up and she collapsed to the dirty cobblestone street. Yet this was not the reason her legs had stopped working. Rhoslyn knew that she could have gone a bit farther on her own. Apparently, her appendages had minds of their own…or had adopted the will of someone else's. Upon realizing this, the terribly frightened young woman did what anyone would do in such a situation. She panicked, hyperventilating with great gulps of panicked air.

_CALM YOURSELF! Be at peace, and all will be well. Breathe easy, stop crying. Enough foolishness- just let events unfold._

There again was that very _convincing­ _voice. Again, Rhoslyn's body complied with the demands, and stopped flailing about, her eyes stopped producing the saline substance needed to cry, her voice, quite hoarse by this time, finally failed and gave out. Now despair set into every fiber of her being. She knew now that there would definitely be no getting out of this preposterous situation alive.

Now that she wasn't busy running, Rhoslyn could get a good look at these black-cloaked figures that had been chasing her. There were four of them, and one of which was decidedly female. The other three were of varying height and build, but that's all she could discern due to the lack of light, and the clothing they had all chosen to adorn. They advanced, uttering a sound sounding like a hiss with every step. Their cloaks were hooded, obscuring their faces except for the small strands of long hair that found its way into view. All extremities, appendages, and torsos were wrapped in black leather. Boots, Gloves, Pants, cloaks, undershirts… all leather. They were human in form, though the screech earlier would suggest otherwise. An aura of _wrongness_ permeated from their pores, making them feel inhuman.

Rhoslyn could do nothing but watch as the creatures gathered in a cluster around her prostrate body. As she was drawing her breath to scream in a last attempt to appeal for help, the leader grabbed her throat, effectively cutting off her air supply by forcing his weight down upon her air pipe.

"None of that nonsense now child." There was a predominant seductiveness to his timbre, a husky, smoky tone that was the quintessential lover's whisper. By the sound of his authority and assuredness, he knew it too.

Rhoslyn squirmed underneath his giant hand, and he released her with a shove. In a last desperate attempt, she struggled to her knees, only to be physically shoved back down to make friends with the cobblestones by all four members of the gang.

_You don't want to move. You are safe. There is no need to escape. You are relaxed and comfortable. You don't want to move._

Again, the voice spoke in her head. Rhoslyn realized the voice in her head was the same as the man who had held her down. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Maybe the right idea was to listen to him. But as soon as this thought whizzed through her mind, another, stronger thought stomped in to replace it. _NO! I WILL NOT GIVE UP! I WANT TO LIVE! I'LL NOT BE TAKEN DOWN BY THESE DEVILS!_ Rhoslyn shook her head, the last free movement she had. How was this man influencing her mind? And to what purpose? Well, perhaps that was the more obvious question, for whoever these creatures were, they were looking to take advantage of the situation, possibly killing or ransoming her. What other purpose could she serve? Rhoslyn wondered why they would target her though. If they tried to ransom her, no one would answer the call, she had no family, no connections, and no money.

Seeing that escape was quite impossible, Rhoslyn attempted to appeal to her captor's human nature. She opened her mouth to speak to the figures, but rediscovered the adverse effect that screaming for half an hour straight has on one's vocal chords. A harsh, faint and reluctantly weak whisper escaped her tormented and ravaged throat.

"L-let me g-g-go. Please." Rhoslyn gagged out in an almost half-cough.

"No, I don't think we will. A new pet is much too much enjoyment for us to just let her go, don't you know. It's not often we find such pretty, young ones lurking around in the back streets. Chance brought us a much-deserved gift, stumbling upon you like we did. No, we cannot possibly let something as precious as you go…" came the hopelessly clichéd, and yet still terrifying statement from the leader, his voice still as smooth as velvet.

What witchcraft was this that put his voice in her head? To be sure, there was something amok with these creatures. The one that spoke then lowered his face down her hers, so close that she could feel his breath on her face, and their noses were almost touching. Rhoslyn quivered in fear, and the look of utmost horror crossed her face. She couldn't see his face. They were close enough to be kissing, and she still was unable to discern anything about his face...Did he even have one? Her thoughts raced with improbable explanations for not having a face. Birth deformities, curses, explosions, burns….but thoughts stopped dead in their tracks when he twitched his head.

The creature hesitated and hovered with his face just above hers, as if deciding something. His head was cocked slightly to one side, and finally he looked up to his companions and gestured something with the hand that wasn't helping to hold Rhoslyn down. Without warning, Rhoslyn was grabbed about the arms and legs, and hoisted up over the shoulder of the second-tallest figure. She saw the leader nod his head, and the four creatures started off at a run after securing her to the shoulder she now resided on. Despite her sudden burst of energy, and her frantic kicking and biting and scratching, all was in vain. She continued in this course until the leader moved from the front of their strange formation and put his hand over her consistantly struggling and moving chest, settling his fingers over her heart. Immediately Rhoslyn stopped struggling, stopped thinking, stopped resisting all but that beautifully silky, seductive voice.

_Sleep little fighting beauty. All will be over soon, and you will be well. Sleep and all will be well._

A haziness settled over her minds as Rhoslyn found she could not resist the command, as forceful and as gentle as it was. She gave in and let her thoughts wander, the blackness fully encasing her mind. _Why did I try coming home this way? I should have used the gondola…I might die…and I'm not sure I care…I'll be away from that awful woman I call 'mistress'… _Rhoslyn's last thoughts died out.


End file.
